Official Languages committee  I'm not aware of that research. Our results cover many years here in New Brunswick. We had a grade 4 entry point in New Brunswick at one point. The research that I've done with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and other school boards shows that the early-starting students perform the best, followed by those in the middle around grade 4, followed by grade 6, which is what one would normally expect on overall proficiency results.

Official Languages committee  One of the big changes we have seen involves the whole notion of literacy and multi-literacy in language learning. Whereas 10 or 15 years ago we were much more focused on learning an individual language and looking at that language as an entity, today we're much more interested as researchers and as teachers in how languages work together and complement one another.

Official Languages committee  That's really not my area of expertise. One thing I do know is if we have strong French immersion programs in our schools, particularly at the secondary level, and we can retain more of those students, and particularly have students in the sciences continuing with French, the opportunity to feed into those kinds of programs is going to be greatly enhanced.

Official Languages committee  No. That's not my area of research.

Official Languages committee  I would like to see funding targeted at an early entry program that can provide the opportunities for the widest range of students, rather than a later starting program that benefits a smaller range of abilities.

Official Languages committee  I understand that the federal government doesn't control the education policies of the provinces, but obviously, if there were significant dollars supporting official language education, I would think the federal government would want to make sure those dollars were spent so that the widest range of students of varying abilities could take advantage of those programs.

Official Languages committee  I think there was a small but influential group of people who made strong arguments that the early French immersion program was having a negative impact on the English program. Students from higher socio-economic backgrounds, more advantaged students, were going into immersion, leaving the English program défavorisé.

Official Languages committee  Professor Dicks, Mr. Dicks—

Official Languages committee  That's right. If you can offer only one program, offer an early one. That's essentially what I'm saying.

Official Languages committee  The recommendation was that the federal government support early French immersion as the most inclusive program option, and ensure that supports are in place for teachers and students so that learners of a broader range of abilities enter into and remain in the early French immersion program.

Official Languages committee  I agree, as far as the vast majority of students are concerned. Some students, who may be more talented or more intelligent, can succeed even in late immersion programs, such as those starting at grade 6. I think that it is good to have choices, where possible, with various entry points.

Official Languages committee  I cannot really answer your second question. Not only were their conclusions different from mine, but they were different from those of the vast majority of experts in second-language learning. The problems with the data mainly involved statistics being improperly interpreted. For example, they calculated the dropout rates from immersion programs from one year to the next, but their calculations were wrong.

Official Languages committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am presenting this report from the perspective of a university professor who is involved, on a daily basis, in teaching and researching French immersion. However, this perspective is influenced by my past experience as an immersion teacher in the public system, as the parent of two children who were placed in immersion in three Canadian provinces, and as someone who learned French as a second language.